The accident
by Carebear3
Summary: Eight years after "lifeline", Harm and Mac have both gone their seperate ways. But when an accident occurs, they're brought back together with the help of a child. Complete!!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own them, just borrowing for a while

Disclaimer: I don't own them, just borrowing for a while. You already know who they belong to, so I'm not even going to put it.

Author's notes: Okay, this is my third attempt, and I think I might be doing okay. In this story, adrift never happened, and it ended when Mac walked away from the Admiral's front porch in lifeline. Please read and tell me what you think of it, I like to hear how I'm doing. Thanks!!!

Harm woke suddenly at midnight. He sat up in bed and tried to let the memory of his dream slip away. He had been dreaming about the day Mac had left him. It's been over eight years, he reminded himself. But time hadn't faded his memory of her on the last day he saw her.

****

Eight years before

"Mac, please, don't do this," he pleaded.

"Harm, I'm sorry. But he loves me. And you told me too late," she said as she began to walk away.

He grabbed her arm. "Do you love him?" he questioned.

She looked down before answering. "You have no right to ask that."

"Mac, please don't do this to me."

"I can't," she said before she stopped, then glanced at him one last time and turned to walk away.

"Sarah, I'll always love you," he whispered as she walked away and didn't look back.

****

Present

Though he tried to go back to sleep, he couldn't manage it. Harm started to make coffee when there was a knock on the door. "Who would be here at this time?" he wondered aloud as he peeked through the hole. 

"Hello."

"Is this the residence of Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr.?" asked the police officer standing in the hall of his apartment complex.

"I'm Harmon Rabb."

"There's been an accident involving Sarah Mackenzie-Brumby. You are the emergency contact she has listed."

His eyes widened. "Are you sure I'm the emergency contact? I mean, she's got a husband."

"No, her ex-husband is currently in jail. The reason I'm informing you now is because of her," said the officer as a little girl who looked exactly like Mac stepped out from behind him.

Once again, Harm's eyes widened in surprise. The little girl looked up at him and her eyes were wide as well. She was taking in everything around her, but she didn't speak. 

"You're the emergency contact for both of them. The thing is, she is either placed with you or put in a county foster home until Sarah Mackenzie-Brumby recovers. Right now, her condition is listed as critical in the hospital."

"So, I'm supposed to care for her? And what hospital is Sarah at?"

"Yes. Sarah is at St. Matthew's hospital, about a half-hour's drive from here. What I need to know is whether you'd like her to stay here, or should I place her at the county home for the night?"

The little girl's eyes pleaded with him not to send her there. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Finally he decided. "If Sarah appointed me caretaker, I'm going to do it. She can stay here."

Her small face looked relieved as the police officer picked up a small bag and handed it to Harm. "Her name is Natalie. Go on sweetie," he said as he nudged her through the doorway. "Take good care of her," he said as he walked away.

Harm shut the door and turned around. Natalie just stared at him. "Uh…I guess we'll get you a place to sleep. You have to be tired."

Finally she spoke. "Yeah. All I have is my pj's. Mommy calls them that. Are you in the Navy?" she asked quietly but clearly.

"Yes, why?"

"My dad was in the Navy too, before he and mommy got divorced."

"Yes, I knew your dad a long time ago. How old are you?" he asked.

"I'm seven."

He nodded and looked around. "You can sleep in the guest room. There's a bed in there."

Natalie followed him into the bedroom and changed into her pajamas. He tucked her into the covers and she was almost asleep as soon as she hit the pillow. He stared at her for another minute before going back to his room.

He fell into bed. "I can't believe she has a daughter," he whispered aloud. Then he shut his eyes and fell into a restless slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Natalie was awake at seven thirty

The next morning, Natalie was awake at seven thirty. She didn't want to wake the man up, but she was hungry. Mommy always had breakfast ready for her in the morning. So she walked into his room and shook him gently. When he didn't wake up, she shook him harder until he finally opened his eyes.

"Um…sir, I'm hungry. Can I have breakfast?" she asked timidly. Natalie was afraid that he might be like her dad and not like her very much, so she tried to be polite.

"Sure. Let me put on some different clothes and I'll make you something. And then we'll get you some clothes," he said as he got out of bed. "And you don't have to call me sir."

"Then what can I call you?"

"How about Harm?"

"Okay."

After Harm got dressed, he looked around his kitchen for something to give Natalie. When he realized there was no real food in the house, he decided to take her out to breakfast. "Natalie? I don't have anything here, so we're going to go out for breakfast. Go put on your clothes that you had on last night and then we'll find someplace to eat."

She nodded and ran down the hallway and slipped back into her pair of jeans and purple sweatshirt. She slid her long brown hair into a purple headband and ran back to where Harm was waiting at the front door.

When they reached the restaurant, Natalie climbed into a booth and ordered pancakes and eggs. "I don't like meat," she said with the first smile he'd seen on her face since she'd arrived.

"That's funny, neither do I," he said as he ordered the same in a larger portion.

While they waited for their food, Natalie asked him more questions as she got more familiar with him. "How did you know my mom?"

"Well, your mom and I worked together a long time ago. And we were good friends too."

"Really? She never said your name before."

"Well, when she married your dad, she and I stopped working together," he said carefully.

"Oh. Mom told me about when she worked at the place called JAG."

"That's where we worked together."

The waitress brought their food at that moment and Natalie quit talking to eat. When she was finished, Harm asked her if she knew what happened to her mom.

"The police officer said that she was in a car crash on the way to pick me up from day care. I had to go with them to the police station and then he took me to your house. He said mom was hurt and couldn't talk to me," she said as tears formed in her brown eyes.

"She is hurt, but she will get better. And until she does, we can visit her."

"We can?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure. But first, let's get you something new to wear. I guess we'll go shopping."

"But we can't do that," Natalie said with an alarmed look upon her face. "Mom doesn't like it when other people buy me stuff that she doesn't get for me."

"Well, I'll buy it now and later your mom can pay me back then, okay?" asked Harm as he paid the bill.

"Okay," she said, looking relieved.

Harm took her to a department store and helped her pick out a few pairs of jeans, a few shirts, and a nice jacket. By the time they were done, it was past lunchtime, but neither was very hungry. Harm knew it was about time he took her to saw her mother. So he brought her up to the hospital.

"Excuse me, is there a Sarah Mackenzie-Brumby registered here?" he asked the nurse behind the admittance desk. 

"Let me check." The nurse turned to her computer and typed in a few things.

"Uh…Harm? Can I hold your hand?" she asked politely, holding her breath and waiting for him to say no like her dad always had.

"If you want to, that's fine with me," he said, flashing her his famous smile. Natalie held out her hand and he took it gently in his own. 

The nurse turned back to them. "Sarah Mackenzie-Brumby is listed in critical condition. She's in the ICU. If you go up to the fourth floor, ask for Dr. Kayla Pendrey. She performed surgery to set her arm and leg. She can inform you of her condition."

"Thanks so much," he said as he flashed a grateful smile and took Natalie to the elevator. The nurse watched him take the little girl and commented to her coworker, "He's really cute, but I bet that lady is his wife and that's their daughter."

"How do you figure?" asked the other nurse.

"The concern in his eyes and the way he's taking care of that little girl."

Harm climbed on the elevator. Natalie followed still holding his hand. She was really beginning to like Harm. The elevator dinged and they got off. Harm led her down the hall where he asked another nurse about her mom and Dr. Pendrey.

"She's in the ICU, room 435. I'll page Dr. Pendrey for you."

"Thanks."

"Dr. Pendrey, please come to the admittance desk on the fourth floor," said the nurse over the loudspeaker.

A young woman came up and introduced herself to Harm and Natalie. "I'm Dr. Kayla Pendrey. I've been caring for Sarah since she was brought in yesterday evening. She's been through surgery to set her broken arm and leg. Lucky for her, she was wearing her seatbelt. She does have a serious head injury and she's in a coma, so we're keeping her in ICU for now. I'll allow you to visit, but I would like to warn you, she's pretty bruised up, so she might look a little scary."

"Okay. Lead the way," said Harm as Natalie and he went to see Sarah. "Here we are. I'll let you in for a short while." The doctor finally walked away, leaving Harm and Natalie to visit.

Natalie tugged on Harm's hand as they went through the door. "Harm? Is she going to be okay?"

"I think so. The doctors are doing their very best to make sure she's okay."

Natalie nodded and went into the room. Harm sat down at the side of her bed. She was pretty bruised up, but looked just about the same as he remembered her. Natalie took a place on the other side of her bed and looked over her mom. Then she spoke up. "Mom, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm here. Your friend Harm is taking care of me. I like him; he's nice like I wish dad was. I want you to get better really soon, so we can talk again."

Harm almost felt like crying. Natalie was a smart little girl, just like her mother. She was looking at him expectantly. "Mac, Sarah, I know its been years since we talked. I didn't even know you had a baby. But if you had me as your emergency contact still, then I guess you hadn't completely forgotten about JAG and me. I'm still there. So are Bud and Harriet. They had another baby after Sarah died. Her name is Emily, and she's six. A.J. is doing great; he's about nine now. I'm Emily's godfather as well and she's a wonderful little girl. The admiral is still there, though he'll be retiring next year. I have a feeling he's going to make me the JAG after this. I can't wait for you to wake up. I know Natalie would like you to also. But until you do, I'll take good care of her."


	3. Chapter 3

Harm stopped speaking and looked at Natalie

Harm stopped speaking and looked at Natalie. She was crying. "I think we'd better go now Natalie," he said as he stretched his hand across to hers again. She nodded again and grabbed his hand tightly. 

They left the hospital and drove to the grocery store to get some food in the house. After getting some things for a few of his favorite meals, they headed home. 

After dinner, Natalie got back into her pajamas after a quick bath. She sat down on his couch and watched TV with him for a while. "Harm, when do I go back to school?" she asked.

"I hadn't even thought about that. Where do you go to school?" he asked.

"I go to Washington elementary. I'm in the second grade," she said proudly.

"I guess you won't have to go tomorrow, but I'll call your teacher and talk to her, okay?"

"Yep." She was silent as she watched a cartoon come on the television. Before long, she was giggling like any normal seven-year old would. He watched her, noting how much of Mac she had in her.

Harm shut the TV off fifteen minutes later saying, "It's time for bed. You've had a long day."

Natalie stretched and got up. He followed her into the guestroom and waited while she brushed her teeth. "Can I ask a question?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

"Sure, if it's quick."

"Do you like me?" she asked worriedly.

"Of course I do. Why are you asking?"

"Because, dad didn't like me a lot, so he went away. I don't want you to leave too."

"I promise you that I won't leave, at least not until your mom wakes up. Okay?"

"Okay. Can I hug you?"

"If you want to, I'd love to get a hug." 

Natalie threw her arms around him and hugged fiercely. Finally she let go. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"Good night Nat."

"Night."

Harm turned out the lights. She was a precious little girl. Though he was worried about Mac and was sorry she'd gotten hurt, he liked spending the time with Natalie. He didn't have children, so Emily and A.J. were the only kids he had spent a lot of time with. It had been hard to see Mac today. He was worried that when she woke up, she'd immediately take Natalie and leave again. Now he was growing attached to the little girl. And seeing Mac had only made him remember how much he loved her as well.

****

Natalie was braver waking Harm up the next morning. She jumped onto his bed until he came awake. "Hi," she said cheerfully at seven twenty-three a.m.

He groaned inwardly. "Hi. Are you hungry?" he asked as he threw on a new shirt.

She nodded vigorously. "Can I watch cartoons for a while?"

"Sure. Don't make it too loud though." Natalie went into the living room and turned on the television while Harm showered and called work for the second time in a row.

"I'm sorry sir," he said. "But I can't just leave her. Thank you for understanding sir. Bye," he said hanging up.

Next he dialed Bud and Harriet's house. "Bud?" he asked into the phone.

"Yes sir?"

"Bud, you remember Colonel Mackenzie, correct?"

"Of course sir."

"Well, she was in a crash a few days ago. The thing is, she has a daughter who's about seven. I'm the emergency contact since she divorced Brumby, who's in jail. Natalie has been staying with me."

"That's a lot to take in. She had a daughter named Natalie?"

"Yeah. I'm taking the week off, but she's going to go to school again in a few days. If Colonel Mackenzie hasn't woken up by then, I've got to get her to school. And I know that A.J. and Emily go to Washington elementary. Apparently Nat goes there too. So…"

"You'd like to know if Harriet could take her to school with the kids?"

"Yeah. Do you think she would? I could pay gas money."

"I'm sure she won't mind sir. And you don't need to pay gas money. We wouldn't mind helping out."

"Thanks Bud. I've got to get her breakfast, so I have to go."

"Alright sir. Just let us know when she's going back to school. Bye," said Bud.

"Bye."

Harm hung up the phone and rummaged around the fridge for breakfast for Natalie. He finally found some jelly and made her toast.

"Here you go. You like grape jelly, right?" he asked as he handed her the plate.

"It's my favorite," she shouted.

"Good. Eat breakfast and we'll spend the day with your mom at the hospital. Okay?"

"Yeah," she said, her brown eyes lit up excitedly. 

After washing the dishes from breakfast, Harm took Natalie to spend the day up at the hospital. Dr. Pendrey had said that Mac wasn't getting worse, but she wasn't exactly improving either. Harm was stressed and worried, but he didn't want Natalie to be scared, so he didn't voice any concerns.

Natalie started talking to Mac again. "Mommy, it's me again. Harm and your doctor said I could talk to you because you can hear me. I want you to get better fast. I want to tell you about what happened at school with my friends. Jean, Danielle, Sydney, and me got awards for helping clean the classroom. Our teacher said she was really proud of us too. I wanted to show you my award, but you didn't come pick me up."

By this time, Natalie was almost in tears again. Harm reached across to touch Natalie's arm. She instantly looked up at him and let the tears fall. She got up from her seat and went over to Harm. "Can I sit in your lap?" she asked through her tears. 

"Sure," he said as she climbed into his lap.

"Harm, is mommy going to…to die?" she blurted out.

"No. She isn't going to die. It might take her a while to get better, but she isn't going to die."

"Okay," said Natalie as her tears dried up.

By lunchtime, Natalie was tired of the hospital room and wanted lunch. Mac's nurse, Carol, offered to take her down to the cafeteria so Harm could have a little alone time with Mac. He agreed readily and began talking as soon as Natalie was gone.

"Hey Mac, it's me again. God, it's been so long since I've seen you. We have some talking to do when you wake up." He pushed the hair behind her ears. "But I don't want to get into that right now. I can't believe you have a daughter. She's so much like you it's amazing. I'm really enjoying her company. I'm worried about you. I've thought about you nearly every day for the past eight years and now that I can finally see you again, it's like nothing has changed. I was so angry with you. I…I can't even tell you the emotions I was feeling. But when I saw Natalie, all of it just…went out the window. The doctor says you aren't getting worse. Natalie and I need you to wake up."

Harm stopped talking and watched her breathe. It was so silent in her room. He was scared, a fact he didn't want to admit. But he couldn't help it. Natalie needed her mother and he needed to talk to her again.

Harm didn't hear the door open because he was so lost in thought. "Harm?" asked a quiet voice.

Harm turned quickly from the bedside where he was holding Mac's hand. "Hey Natalie," he said in a light tone.

"Carol let me have a candy bar after lunch. Did mom wake up?"

"No. We can stay and visit for a while longer, then we need to go by your house and pick some of your things up, okay?"

"Okay. I guess I'll say goodbye."

"Me too. Bye Sarah," said Harm as he stood up.

Taking Harm by surprise, Natalie told her mother good-bye in Farsi then turned and walked out ahead of him.

His amazed look caused her to explain. "Mom taught me Farsi when I was little. She used to sing me a special goodnight song. It's really special to her," said Natalie as her eyes shone. 

"I know," he said softly as he looked at Mac and then closed the door.


	4. Chapter 4

When Harm took Natalie by Sarah and Natalie's apartment, they went through her drawers and room to find some more personal items

When Harm took Natalie by Sarah and Natalie's apartment, they went through her drawers and room to find some more personal items. They ended up taking her school clothes, toothbrush, hairbrush, and toys that she wanted. "See," she said as she pointed to her collection, " This is the collection mom and dad started for me before I was born. This is my Navy tomcat. It's my favorite because mom liked it so much. She told me that she bought it right before her wedding."

"Wow," said Harm. His face was lit up but his she could tell by his eyes that something was wrong.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Your collection is pretty cool," said Harm as he turned away from Natalie's small face.

"Thanks," she said breaking out into a broad smile. "You want to see more?" 

"Sure."

"This is my second favorite. It's a fighter jet. It's really old," she said as she smiled again.

"They're very nice. I would like to see more, but we need to get you back to my apartment because we're going to have dinner and tomorrow you're going back to school."

"Okay," she said reluctantly. "Can I take my doll?"

"Sure." Natalie held up a raggedy baby doll in her arms. Harm placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her out to his car.

After dinner, Harm helped Natalie pick out some school clothes and climb into bed. He tucked her in and turned to leave but she cried out, "No!"

He returned instantly to her side and picked her up in his arms. "It's okay," he whispered as she threw her arms around his neck.

"I'm scared!" she said as tears streamed down her face.

"What are you scared of?" he asked soothingly.

"I miss mom. And I'm afraid you're going leave me like dad did!" she cried as her arms tightened.

"Natalie, I'm not your dad. Okay, I'm not going to leave you. I promise. And your mom will get better soon. Until then, you can talk to me whenever you need to."

"Okay," Natalie said as she sniffled.

"Are you going to be okay if Harriet takes you to school tomorrow with Emily and A.J?"

"I guess. She's nice, right?" she asked as she finished drying her tears.

"Harriet is wonderful. She and your mom used to be very good friends, and she's still one of my very good friends," said Harm as he re-tucked Natalie in.

"Alright. Harm? I love you," she whispered quietly.

"I know. And I love you too, sweetie," he said as he closed the door.

****

The next morning, Harm dropped a very clingy Natalie off at Harriet and Bud's house. Once Natalie met Harriet, Emily, A.J., and Bud, she released her grip on Harm somewhat. After two extra hugs, Harm was able to get out the door with Bud.

"She looks just like Colonel Mackenzie sir," said Bud in awe.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" chuckled Harm.

"And the way she's clinging to you sir, you'd think she was your daughter."

"I think her father's treatment of her has something to do with how she feels about males. And besides, I'm growing pretty fond of her too," he admitted.

"I understand. How is Colonel Mackenzie? Harriet and I would have liked to visit her, but we didn't want to intrude…"

"If you'd like to visit, she's in room 435. I'll be up there until Nat gets out of school, then I'll probably bring her back up to see Mac. Her condition isn't worsening or improving from what I heard when I called there this morning."

"Alright, Harriet and I will think about visiting this Saturday."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later Bud."

"Bye sir."

"Bye."

Harm went back to the hospital where he found a still sleeping Mac. He approached her bed and pushed the tubes away so he could hold her hand.

"Hey Mac. I'm here alone. I had Harriet take Natalie to school for me. She's a great little girl, but she seems a bit too grown up for her age. I don't have any kids, so I didn't know what it felt like. But, honestly, last night, Natalie told me she loved me. And I was just taken by surprise, completely off-guard," he said as he massaged her muscles in her arm.

"I know she needed to hear it back, so I told her I loved her too. And the strangest thing about that is, after spending only three days with her, I do love her, like she were my own daughter. I don't know why you didn't come back into my life after you divorced him."

Harm sighed and put his head down next to hers. "It's so complicated."

When he became too frustrated too talk anymore, he stepped out into the hall, nearly colliding with Dr. Pendrey. "Oh sorry," he said as he realized who it was.

"That's okay," Dr. Pendrey said as she flashed him a smile. "You're Harm, right?""Yeah. I have a few questions about Sarah, actually, so if you could tell me when you have some time, I'd appreciate it."

She glanced at her watch and said," Well, I'm on break as of now if you'd like to get coffee with me."

"Alright." 

Harm accompanied her down to the cafeteria where they both ordered coffee. They sat down at one of the chipped tables that no one was near.

"You said you have some questions about Sarah?" she asked as she sipped the hot coffee.

"Yes. I'm worried, why hasn't she woken up?" asked Harm.

"Well, having a serious head injury, the tissue swells. The more swollen, the more oxygen needed to heal. But because the brain is encased in the skull, the skull prevents it from expanding, and pressure builds. This causes the blood to slow and since the blood carries oxygen, there is less oxygen getting to the brain. It will take time for her to heal, and her body will determine how much time is needed."

Harm shook his head slowly in understanding. "Is her condition life-threatening?"

"It's been almost three days. The swelling is going down and though she's in a coma, she seems to be doing better. I can't guarantee that she'll be fine; believe me, I wish I could. But I do believe that she has a very good chance."

"Okay. Do you know when she'll wake up?" he asked.

"As I said before, it depends on how much healing her body has to do. It all differs from person to person, so we can't tell when someone will awaken. She may become agitated in her comatose state. That could mean anything from seizures to posturing, odd movements of her body. But that may not happen. Also, we're going to start rotating her. She's spent two and a half days on her back, now we'd like to move her onto her side."

Harm finished his coffee and stood. "Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Dr. Pendrey. I appreciate it."

"Any questions you have, just come find me. And you can call me Kayla," she said as she flashed him another smile. 

"Alright," Harm said as he smiled slightly, then returned to Mac's room. He had skipped lunch and now it was almost two. Natalie would be out of school in an hour, and he'd promised Harriet he'd pick all three children up this afternoon. Harm sat down at Mac's side again. She looked so frail and fragile lying in the large hospital bed with the ugly hospital gown on. Not at all like the marine he had once known.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: This is only part five of the story

Author's note: This is only part five of the story. It is incomplete for now, but I expect to have about two or three more parts to finish the story. Thanks to those who have reviewed and please keep it up to let me know what you think!!

When two thirty came, Harm was reluctant to leave. He stroked her face where the bruises were disappearing. "I'll bring Natalie back in a few hours." He stood and left her room quickly to get down to his car.

Natalie ran out of school eagerly, for being at school had almost made her forget about her mother lying in a hospital bed. Not that she wasn't happy to see Harm waiting for her outside with Emily and A.J, but she was used to it being her mother or Mrs. Smith, the babysitter from the daycare. 

She ran right up to Harm and gave him a big hug. "Hi!" she squealed as he tickled her quickly and made her giggle. A.J. and Emily laughed also when he turned to them and did the same.

"Okay guys, lets get you two to your house and Natalie, you and I will go have a snack."

A.J. groaned. "Do we have to go right home? I mean, can't you stay and play for a while?"

"Not today. But I'll come next weekend if your parents aren't busy. Nat and I will come together so Emily can have someone to play with too, alright?" said Harm.

"Okay," A.J. said as he fell back into his seat.

"Yeah!" shouted both Emily and Natalie because they had taken such a liking to each other.

After dropping the kids off, Harm took Natalie back home to get a snack. "What do you usually have for snack?" he asked, looking puzzled as he peered into his cupboard shelves.

Natalie tilted her head to look at him. Her long brown hair fell to the side as she said," I always have an apple and a glass of milk."

"I have milk and I have apples. Do you want it cut up?" Harm asked as he took the milk and a red apple out of his fridge.

"No. I eat it whole. Thank you," she said before she took a bite and sat at his table. "I'm lucky today. My teacher didn't give us any homework today or yesterday, so I don't have any make-up work to do. So we can go see mom in a while, right?''

"Definitely. The doctor thinks she's getting better, but she might not wake up for a while."

"I know, but she will wake up soon, I know it!" she exclaimed as she jumped off her stool and ran to her room to put her backpack away.

"Natalie, don't get your hopes up too high, it might still be a very long time."

She didn't say anything; she just ran out the door and down to his car. When they reached the hospital, Natalie ran to the elevator and bounded through the hallways until she reached her mother's room. She waited impatiently for Harm to join her, then walked in. 

Natalie sat down; obviously disappointed that Mac hadn't woken up yet. Harm sat next to Natalie and took Mac's hand in his own. Natalie watched him with wide eyes as he sat there with her and talked aloud.

Her voice cut through his clearly. "You like my mom, don't you?"

"Of course I do. She was my friend and I'd liked to be friends again."

"No. I mean, you really like her. The same as Jimmy likes Danielle. They're boyfriend and girlfriend," she said with her hand cupped as though it were a secret. Then Natalie turned serious again and said, "Are you going to ask mommy out when she wakes up?"

"I…I don't know," he said, taken by surprise at her questions. "What if I did?" he asked quietly.

"Then maybe mommy would be really happy. Do you love her?" 

"Do I love her? I don't know Natalie. I loved her a lot, but that was a long time ago. When your mom wakes up, she and I are going to talk. Okay?"

Natalie nodded. Before she could say anything else, Harm saw a slight movement from the corner of his eye.

"Mac, what was that?" he asked as though she would jump up and answer him. "Come on, do that again. Did you see that Natalie?" 

"Yeah! Mommy moved her foot."

Carol walked into the room to see Natalie and Harm coaxing Mac to move again. "What happened?" she asked with a drawl.

"She moved her foot."

Carol looked at their hopeful faces and hated to burst their bubble, but she spoke up anyway. "I know you're hopeful, but that's called posturing. She might do it often, but it doesn't necessarily mean she's waking up yet."

Their faces sagged a bit, but not as badly as she had expected. She moved over to take vitals on Mac, then left the room to make rounds.

By dinnertime, Natalie was ready to leave. Harm reluctantly left because Natalie needed to go to school the next day.

During the night, Harm woke up again after dreaming of Mac. This time, it was to the smell of baby powder and soap, and a little body next to his. Natalie, dressed in her small cloud pajamas, was lying beside him, breathing softly. Harm knew she was asleep and didn't want to wake her so he carefully climbed out of bed and grabbed the phone from the kitchen. 

He dialed the hospital and told them the patient name when asked. The nurse came back on the line a moment later. "Her condition remains the same, but she has been moved out of the ICU."

Harm thanked the nurse and hung up. He returned to his room and checked on Natalie, who was still sleeping peacefully, then wandered back into the living room to kill some time. The next thing he knew, it was five a.m. and the phone was ringing non-stop.

"Hello?" he asked sleepily.

"Harm?" asked a voice with a drawl.

"Carol?" 

"Yes, this is Carol, Sarah's nurse. Harm, she's waking up. She's reacting to pain, and her eyes have been flickering. Dr. Pendrey believes she'll wake up today!"

Harm's expression changed from pure exhaustion to happiness. He grinned and said, "That's great! Can we come and visit her right now?"

"Yeah, I figured you'd want to."

"Thanks so much for calling. We really appreciate it," he said as he grinned again and hung up.

He went back into his room, where Natalie was still curled up on his bed. He decided not to wake her yet and that she wouldn't go to school this morning. I'll call Harriet later, he thought as he pulled on a Navy sweatshirt and a clean pair of jeans. He grabbed another sweatshirt and carefully put it on Natalie without waking her.

Then he lifted her into his arms easily and brought her down to the car. After buckling her in, he took off for the hospital.

After arriving, Harm carried a sleepy Natalie to the fourth floor and deposited her into the chair next to Mac's bed. The doctor was right, he thought eagerly. Her eyelids were flickering just so you could see the white beneath. Carol picked up Mac's hand and pressed her thumbnail down with a pen. Her response was to pull it back quickly. 

Harm watched Mac's odd movements of her foot and arm with amazement. "You're right. She looks like she's almost awake already," he whispered.

"Based on her improvement in the past few days, the doctors are very impressed."

He nodded and looked down at her again. Carol watched for a moment, then walked out of the room, leaving only Harm awake.

They sat by her bedside the entire day, but she didn't awaken. By that night, they were both frustrated by the waiting. Natalie fell back asleep in the chair, and Harm ended up carrying her back out to the car and into the house.

That night, he tucked Natalie into her bed, knowing that she'd never stay there all night. Then Harm climbed into his own bed and turned out the lights. He made sure the phone was next to him, and soon fell into a restless sleep. 

By three o'clock the next morning, Natalie was safely tucked into his bed beside him. Harm jolted awake immediately, but it didn't stir her. He expected the phone to ring, but it didn't. This is torture, he thought as he put his head back to the pillow. But he had a strange feeling about Mac. He didn't want to ignore it; he wanted to go right to her, but Natalie needed a full night's sleep. 

So he did the very best he could to go back to sleep. Of course, he was once again awake at six thirty and ready to get going for the day because it was obvious he wasn't getting anymore sleep. Natalie hadn't woken up, and he wasn't planning on waking her for another hour or two, but he felt like he should be at the hospital immediately, so he pulled another shirt over her head and stuck a pair of pants in a bag. 

He didn't waste time calling the hospital, he just put Nat in the car and drove them there as fast as possible. But when he entered Mac's room, she was still asleep, as she had been for five days. Harm sighed with disappointment and sat down in the easy chair with Natalie asleep in his lap. He was so tired, his eyes were drooping immediately, and soon he couldn't hold off sleep. It was easier to sleep knowing Mac was right next to him and Natalie was in his lap. When Carol made a check in half an hour later, she saw two sleeping forms and decided not to wake them until later.

But Harm didn't sleep for much longer. After waking to see that Mac was not yet awake, he walked out in the hallway to let Natalie catch a little more sleep. He was going to go out to the desk to find Carol, but she wasn't there. Instead a policeman standing next to the desk called out his name. "Harmon Rabb."

Harm looked at him in surprise. It was the same policeman who had brought Natalie to his door. "Sir?" he questioned.

"I'm Officer Grant, the officer who informed you of Sarah Mackenzie-Brumby's accident."

"I remember. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Officer, if I may ask, what was the cause of the accident? I never asked and it hadn't occurred to me until just now."

"The cause of the accident was a drunk driver."

Harm got angry. "A drunk driver did this to Sarah? Did you get the guy?"

"Oh yeah, we got him. He's in the morgue."

Harm's face sagged. It would have been easy to be angry with the person who caused the accident, but to deal with death, made everything seem so real. He couldn't even mutter another word about the accident. "Thank you so much for everything Officer Grant."

"You bet."

And with that, Harm walked away. He returned to the room to find Natalie still sleeping. He sat back down on the chair, now worn out after hearing of the other person's death. He placed her back in her lap so she could be comfortable, and then decided to sleep some more himself.


	6. Chapter 6

Mac opened her eyes slowly

Mac opened her eyes slowly. I'm so tired, she thought as she surveyed her surroundings. Where was she? She tried to sit up, but quickly realized she couldn't because of two casts and a serious headache. Her thoughts turned to Harm as they did every morning she woke up. Had she dreamed the eight years away from him and JAG? Mac realized she couldn't have when she remembered Natalie. She smiled at the thought of Natalie.

When Mac finally rose her head, her eyes widened and she almost gasped. The chair next to her hospital bed was occupied by a sleeping Harm cradling a sleeping Natalie in his arms. She almost reached out to touch them, but something stopped her. Her thoughts quickly turned to what she was doing in a hospital with a broken arm and leg. And what Harm was doing holding Natalie. She didn't know any of it, she couldn't recall doing anything to get hurt. Had Mic hurt them again? No, she thought, he's in jail.

Mac turned to see a small button near the side of the bed. She hit the nurse call button and soon Carol appeared. Carol's eyes widened as she set eyes upon Mac. "You're…you're awake," she stammered with her drawl.

"Mm-hmm. I want to know, why am I here?"

"You were in a car accident five days ago and you've been in a coma ever since. Well, until now, obviously." 

Carol smiled as Mac frowned. "I don't remember any car crash. And I've been here for five days?"

"That's correct. You should really let those two know you're awake. They've been worried sick about you, the both of them."

"I will in a few minutes. They look like they could use the sleep."

Carol nodded again and walked out of the room to get the doctor. Mac's eyes drifted over Harm. Eight years had changed him, but he was still as gorgeous as Mac remembered. She wanted to wake him up, but she didn't know what to say to the guy who was holding her seven-year old daughter in his arms. She realized there was going to be a lot to talk about when Natalie wasn't around. That is, if Harm doesn't avoid me or leave, she thought.

The doctor entered the room quietly and checked Mac over. They were careful not to wake Harm or Natalie, and soon Mac was alone again with her thoughts. She glanced over at them again, and to her alarm, Harm started to stir. He casually opened his eyes and glanced around, his gaze landing on Mac, who was staring straight at him.

"You…you're awake," he said, obviously startled.

"That's correct," she said with a smile. It was easy to smile when there weren't any personal issues to discuss yet.

"Wow," he said, clearing his throat. "I'm just going to set Natalie down in the other chair." Harm picked her up gently and set her in the other chair, where she curled up in a ball and went on sleeping. He came back to sit next to her.

"We were really worried about you for awhile."

"I know. Thank you."

"Um…Mac, we have a few things to talk about."

The smile on her face remained, but it was faked. "Later, when Natalie isn't here," he said to Mac's relief.

"Okay." At that moment, Natalie turned in her sleep and whispered, "Daddy."

Mac's face turned white. "What does she call you?"

"Just Harm. Natalie is a really great little girl. She made friends with A.J. and Emily a couple of days ago."

"A.J. and Emily? Who's Emily?"

"Oh. Emily is Harriet and Bud's little girl. My goddaughter."

"I didn't even know they had another baby."

"Well, they did. It's sort of like I didn't even know you had a baby."

Mac's face looked pained. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," he apologized.

"I guess it is true. I should have kept in touch."

"Yeah, you should have." He looked away, then turned back. "Do you want to see the latest picture of Emily and A.J?"

"Sure," said Mac. Harm took out his wallet and held out a picture of A.J. sitting with Emily against him. Emily's light blond hair and brown eyes complimented A.J.'s dark brown hair and blue eyes perfectly. 

"She's gorgeous. How old is she?"

"Emily's six. She's just like Harriet."

"Yeah? Wow."

Finally, Natalie woke up. When she saw her mother sitting there, she yelped and ran over to hug her. "Mommy! You're awake! I missed you so much!"

"I know. I missed you too. Have you been being good for Harm?"

"Yeah." Natalie climbed onto the bed and sat between Mac and where Harm was still sitting in the chair.

"Mommy, know what? Sydney, Jean, Danielle, and me all got awards for helping clean our classroom. And Mrs. Flora said she was proud of us!"

"That's great."

The rest of the day, Natalie chattered consistently about how great Harm was and what had been happening while Mac was asleep. At nine o'clock that night, however, the day took it's toll on her, and she fell fast asleep in the hospital room.

"I think now is as good a time as any," stated Harm quietly.

"I guess we have to talk sometime," she said sighing deeply.

He looked away from her before starting to talk. "I don't even know where to start. I want to know so many things. Why didn't you ever tell me you had kids, or that you had divorced him, or why didn't you come back to me, at least as a friend, afterwards? That doesn't even begin to cover the questions I want to ask you."

"I know. And there are no simple answers for your questions. I guess, after Natalie was born, I thought about calling you, but I was afraid you wouldn't be happy for me, which I now know is silly, but at the time, well… And I divorced him a few years ago. Natalie was five, but Mic never really showed any interest in her. He went to jail right before the divorce, and Nat hasn't ever expressed the need to see him. I never came back into your life, though, for one simple reason. I was afraid, that even as a friend, I couldn't do it. I made the wrong choice once; I didn't want to make it again."

"Mac, I wouldn't have turned you away," he said with a smile. "I was angry, sure, but I probably would have welcomed you back happily."

"Yeah, but I didn't want to take that chance."

"I don't want to upset you, but can I ask why Brumby is in jail?"

Mac sucked in a breath. Harm noticed and said, "If you don't want to tell me that's fine."

"No, its okay. Well, like I said, right before the divorce he was brought up on abuse charges. He had turned abusive towards both Natalie and I when I told him I wanted a divorce. The final time when I brought charges was when he broke my arm, gave me a black eye, and tried to hurt Natalie. I wouldn't let him and when he tried to still, I filed charges against him. The judge must have felt extremely bad for us because she gave him a five-year sentence."

Harm's face was red with fury. "He abused you?"

"It's over with. I never let him hurt Natalie."

He was still angry. "I can't believe he would do that."

"Well, I never have to worry about him again. He seemed very sorry after he was sentenced."

"That doesn't excuse his behavior."

Mac didn't say anything for a while until she asked about Natalie and his visits. "Was she very scared?"

"Well, no more than any normal child would be. But you know, Nat and I were visiting you the other night, and all of a sudden, she asked me if I liked you. Naturally I said yes, but then she asked me if I'd ask you out, and if I loved you."

Mac's face bore an embarrassed look. She couldn't help but ask, "And what did you tell her?"

"I told her that I loved you a long time ago, and that we needed to talk again. But she was right, I do still love you." He gave her a moment to let the words sink in. "Look, I know it's not great timing, but I never really had time on my side, now did I?" he said, attempting a smile.

She shook her head, which was swarming with emotions and feelings for him. "I think I'll let you get to sleep. I'm going to take Nat home and put her to bed. Think about what I said, because I mean it. I am still in love with you. We'll be back tomorrow morning, okay?"

Mac nodded; unable to speak for fear that words would just come tumbling out. Harm gently picked up Natalie and ushered her out the door.

She tried to get some sleep, but the words kept playing in her mind, over and over again. 'Do I love him too?' she wondered in her mind. It was strange that eight years ago, she had turned him down, but now here he was again, saying those words again. And another thing that bothered her was if he really did love her, or if he was just saying it for some reason. It didn't make sense in her mind, and even less said out loud.

How could she ever know if it was true? Mac was clearly confused that night, but it didn't stop her from sleeping for a few hours at least. 

Before Harm came the next morning, she wondered how things were going to work out once she was out of the hospital, what with a broken leg and arm and still trying to care for Natalie. She wanted his help, but she wasn't sure if the love was still there. And she wanted to know how deep her feelings ran for him and how deep his ran for her.

When he walked into her room the next morning with Natalie holding his hand, it brought a few things to light. Not all, but a few.

With a guarded hello out of the way, they listened to Natalie chatter for a few minutes. "Mom, when are you getting out of the hospital?"

"The doctors say it should be in a few more days, probably by Tuesday."

"Are you going to stay at Harm's house for awhile?"

"I…I really don't know yet," she stammered.

"Okay," said Natalie nonchalantly as she turned her head to the doorway. "I'm gonna so see if Carol is busy, alright?"

"Sure sweetie. Just don't bother her."

Natalie nodded and walked out to the front desk. Mac didn't say anything and neither did Harm. "So, we're alone to talk, I guess."

"Yeah."

"I…I thought about what you said last night, and I'm just not sure that I can tell you right now…"

"I understand," he said softly. 

She looked at him, surprised at his reaction. It put the final nail in the coffin. She knew it in her mind that she loved him. But instead of voicing this revelation, she simply turned away and stared at the wall.

Harm didn't say anything for a while. When the nurse brought in Mac's lunch, she informed them that Dr. Pendrey would be coming in to do some tests after lunch. 

"Okay," said Mac as the nurse left the room. "Boy, this stuff really shouldn't be called food, should it?" 

He looked at her pouring the watery jello onto her plate and laughed. "It doesn't look gourmet, that's for sure."

She tasted it and decided it would be better off in the wastebasket. "Well, there goes lunch," she sighed.

"Do you want me to get you something else?"

"Well…could you? I mean, if it isn't a lot of trouble."

"Sure. I'll leave Nat here to keep you company."

"Thanks," she called as he walked out the door.

Dr. Pendrey came in while Harm was still gone. "Hello Sarah," she said cheerfully.

"Hi."

"We have some tests we're going to run on you. Don't worry, it's just some routine work. We'll be done in a few minutes."

"Alright."

Dr. Pendrey took some blood and sent the blood work to the lab. "Okay, we're done."

"Thank you." Dr. Pendrey left the room just as Harm came back into the room. He had a bag behind his back, which he handed to Mac.

"Thank you so much," she said as she pulled a burger out of the bag.

"There's something for Natalie too. I figured she'd be hungry too."

"Harm, thank you so much for taking such good care of her."

"It was my pleasure."

Natalie came back into the room and spotted the health burger for her. "Is it red meat?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

"No, it's soy," said Harm as he handed it to her.

"Good."

"Nat!" Mac exclaimed. "What do you say?"

Natalie grinned sheepishly. "Thank you Harm."

"Sure."

That night, after Harm had taken Natalie home, he felt like going to see Mac again. He called Harriet and asked if she could watch Nat for a few hours so he and Mac could visit privately. She readily agreed and so did Nat.

"I get to go play with A.J. and Emily again?"

"Yeah."

"Yea!" 

He dropped her off and then drove back to the hospital. He entered Mac's room to see that she was awake and watching TV. "Hey," he greeted her.

"Harm. I didn't know you were coming back."

"I didn't either. I dropped Natalie off at Harriet and Bud's place so she could play with Emily and A.J. They're taking good care of her."

She nodded. "So what's up?"

"I don't know. I just felt like visiting."

"Oh." 

"I was just wondering, well, since you have a broken leg and a broken arm, if you'd like some help when you get out of the hospital."

"You mean stay at your house for a while?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure it wouldn't be too much trouble?"

"No trouble. Really."

"Well, if you're sure, okay."

"I'm sure."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Harm stood up to go. "I guess I'll head back and get Natalie," he said after clearing his throat.

"No! I mean, wait a minute," she said as her cheeks turned red.

He sat back down and looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to talk. She turned her head down and rested her hands on her deep blue satin nightgown Harm had brought her. "I don't know…you have to understand that I can't quite find the words. I don't see how you can know that you still love me after eight years apart. I don't think you're in love with me, I think it's the memory of you and I that you want," she said as the tears started to fall.

"It isn't." Two simple words out of his mouth and she knew it was the truth. But he kept on going as he came to sit next to her. He slid her hands into his and began talking once more. "I can't tell you the number of times I've dreamed, about seeing you again, and wishing that I had been able to say the words eight years ago. I'm not going to take the chance on losing you again."

Mac couldn't say anything, but she shivered as he wrapped her in his arms. She nodded vigorously. "I guess the only thing left for me to say is I love you too," she said simply.


	7. Epilogue

Twenty-two-year old Natalie peeked through the doorway of the house

Author's note: Okay, here it is, the final part to my story. Thanks to everyone who reviewed to keep me going. Let me know what you think of it now that its finished.

Twenty-two-year old Natalie peeked through the doorway of the house. She looked around quickly, and seeing that no one was in sight, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. Another look revealed that her mother was standing in the open kitchen with Ryan sitting on the counter. 

Natalie entered the house and walked into the kitchen, sat next to Ryan and tousled his hair as only a sister can. "Knock it off!" he said, but Natalie knew he enjoyed the attention she gave him.

"Hey, what's up?" Natalie asked calmly, waiting for them to notice the sparkling diamond ring on her ring finger.

"Not much," said Mac as she turned around from the stove and frowned. "Get off the counter you two. I just washed it."

"Yeah, like a month ago," said Ryan as he jumped down and ran off before he could get scolded.

Natalie laughed as she watched him go and then turned to her mother again. "I can't believe he's already fourteen."

"I know. A few more years and he'll be off to college as well."

"Don't worry mom. We'll come back to visit." Natalie tossed her shoulder length brown hair and pulled her blue sweater down.

Mac glanced at her daughter's hands briefly, and then she quickly grabbed her hand for a second look. "Natalie, is this what I think it is?" she asked shakily.

Natalie grinned, happy that it was finally noticed. She nodded and Mac pulled her into a hug. "He proposed! Harm!" shouted Mac.

Both Harm and Ryan came running and Natalie held out her hand to them. Harm grabbed both of them and hugged. Ryan, trying to be cool, didn't join in, but Natalie grabbed him as well.

"Jeremy proposed this afternoon at the lake. We're going to wait until we both graduate this spring and get jobs to actually set a date," she said after everyone had calmed down.

"I'm so happy for you," said Mac as she finished clearing the counter.

"Thanks. So what do you say daddy, will you walk me down the aisle when we set the date?"

Harm's eyes shone and he flashed his trademark smile. "I wouldn't miss that for the world."

"And Ryan, you can be one of the escorts if you want. Jeremy's niece Adrienne is your age, and she needs someone so she can be one of my bridesmaids."

"I'll think about it." Natalie rolled her eyes and smiled. 

How everything turned out so good, Natalie didn't know. But what had looked like it might have been the worst time in her life had given her everything she'd needed, especially a father.


End file.
